The invention relates to a device for implanting occlusion spirals in body cavities or blood vessels with a catheter, an occlusion spiral that can be moved within the catheter in the longitudinal direction, and at least one securing means attached in the occlusion spiral, structured as a flexible lengthwise element, which passes through the length of the occlusion spiral at least in a partial region. The invention furthermore relates to an occlusion spiral as well as to a medical implant that is intended to be deposited in body cavities or blood vessels to be closed off.
The use of endovascular techniques for the occlusion of body cavities or blood vessels such as arteries, veins, Fallopian tubes, or vascular malformations (e.g. vascular aneurysms) is a known state of the art. In this connection, the occlusion spiral is generally introduced and deposited in the cavity to be occluded using an endovascular guide wire, by means of a catheter.
In advance of being deposited, the occlusion spirals to be implanted are guided through the vascular system using the catheter, and are advanced out of the catheter into the area to be occluded when they reach the target location. In an ideal case, this is followed by separation of the spiral. In the case of incorrect positioning or an occlusion spiral that is too large for the region to be occluded, however, the spiral has to be repositioned or completely retracted into the catheter, in order to subsequently permit correct positioning or introduction of a correctly sized occlusion spiral. Such maneuvers in the vascular system are fraught with the risk that parts of the spiral will be pulled apart under tensile or torsion stress, and thereby will be irreversibly plastically deformed, will tear, or will break, bringing with this the risk of a life-threatening embolism.
In order to minimize these risks, it is known from the reference PCT/US 98/17885 to attach a flexible securing means in the occlusion spiral. The disadvantage of this device is that the securing means, consisting of a polymer material, is not ideal with regard to bending stress or tensile strength. Therefore with this device, too, tearing of the spiral within the blood vessel system can occur if the torsion stress and/or the tensile stress is too great.